


Between Laces

by pt_tucker



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Meetings, Gen, Light Angst, Mentor & Protégé, light fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-25 13:27:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12036843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pt_tucker/pseuds/pt_tucker
Summary: The Third's been trying to tie his shoe for the past five minutes.





	Between Laces

**Author's Note:**

> So, after seeing [this comic](https://sinnamon-art-box.tumblr.com/post/165015120729/i-cant-actually-find-the-original-thing-i-based) cross my dash earlier today, I was filled with so much sadness for my poor, sweet Zack I just had to write something to make it better. (I realize the comic is meant to be taken as comedic, but I can't read the words "he's crying" and not feel awful.) 
> 
> And, tbh, I've been wanting to write some fics surrounding Angeal first meeting Zack, so it was nice to have an excuse. Even if that excuse was PAIIIIIIN. 
> 
> Thanks to my dear yeaka for helping me out with a title decision. :)

“What’re you staring at?” Genesis asked.

Angeal pointed. “Him.”

He felt Genesis lean in behind him as he looked.

Not that far away, a young SOLDIER Third was attempting to tie one of his shoes. As he had been for a while.

“He’s been trying for five minutes.”

“He doesn’t know how to tie shoe laces.” Genesis didn’t sound impressed, but then he never did. Not with anyone other than the two of them, and even then any compliment he gave Sephiroth was always laced with barely hidden jealousy.

There was an awkward silence as the three of them - Angeal could only assume Sephiroth was also staring by now - watched the Third struggle with what should have been a simple task. Angeal resisted the urge to ask himself how he’d even made it into SOLDIER in the first place. Even in his head, the question felt cruel when faced with the clearly frustrated young man, who was no doubt very aware that his superiors were but a few meters away staring at him. Judging him.

“He’s crying.” Genesis said after a moment, his disdain ebbing away to something closer to pity. Possibly even sympathy, though getting Genesis to sympathize with those he personally deemed incompetent was a task in and of itself. 

“He is,” Sephiroth agreed, likely because he didn’t know what else to say. 

Something inside Angeal twisted up at the sight. And at the fact that as a SOLDIER, the Third should have heard every word they’d said about him. He wasn’t that far, and they weren’t exactly being quiet. 

A wave of shame flowed through him as he imagined what that SOLDIER had to be feeling right then. His skin prickled with unease. 

Angeal handed his food to Genesis as he stood. Genesis raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything as he walked over to the Third.

He stiffened as Angeal drew close, and then shot up into a salute when Angeal came to a stop in front of him. “Sir!” His puffy, red eyes darted around, never once letting Angeal catch them for more than a split second.

“SOLDIER,” Angeal greeted.

“I-” the Third started, obviously of the opinion that he owed these random strangers some sort of explanation. 

“It’s fine,” Angeal said, cutting him off. He let the Third keep his salute as he bent down and tied his shoe for him. Less awkward for the both of them if he had an excuse to stand there, stiff as a board, while his superior officer handled his…problem.

“There we go.” Angeal rubbed his fingers on his pants as he straightened out. He patted the Third on the shoulder and gave him a smile. “Relax.” 

“Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir.” His shoulders slumped and he still refused to look Angeal in the eye as he examined his now-tied shoe. 

Angeal pretended not to notice when he wiped away a few stray tears.

“No need to be so formal when we’re not on duty. You can call me Angeal.” And then, because someone so embarrassed wasn’t likely to give his name without prompting, he asked, “And you are?”

The Third’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he sucked in a shaky breath. “Zack Fair.” 

Angeal glanced back at his friends, who were watching the proceedings with a level of attention that he could only assume the Third didn’t appreciate. He gave them a quick shake of the head, and they made a show of focusing on their lunch. 

The Third scuffed the heel of his shoe against the dirt.

“It seems you’ve forgotten something, Zack,” Angeal said, trying to find another topic to discuss besides the obvious. Zack flinched. “Where’s your sword, SOLDIER?”

That caught his attention, blue eyes jumping up to meet his for the first time. Blue, but not yet mako-bright. A newly-minted Third. Possibly didn’t even have a sword yet, though it was supposed to be one of the first things they did: picking out their weapons.

“I’m not on duty.”

“Well, what if there’s an emergency?” Angeal crossed his arms and frowned at him.

“I’ll…punch it?”

“You’ll…punch the emergency.” 

Zack gave him a sheepish grin as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes?”

He’ll punch the emergency. Well then.

Angeal didn’t know how to respond to that.

“You don’t even use your sword!” Zack protested, apparently taking Angeal’s silence to mean he was supposed to defend his decision. 

In the background, Genesis snorted.

“Oh? And where did you hear that?” Was he really so notorious that they were telling green Thirds about him? Gaia, Gen was never going to let him live it down.

Zack’s attention shifted back from where it’d been drawn by Genesis, though it didn’t settle on Angeal himself. Instead, his gaze went past Angeal’s shoulder, to rest on his Buster Sword.

“Nobody told me. Your sword’s right there.”

“And the fact I’m carrying it around with me made you immediately assume that I wasn’t going to use it?” Angeal pressed, amused. 

Zack shrugged. “It doesn’t have any wear on it. So either it’s new and you’ve gotten really comfortable with it really fast, or you don’t use it.” He frowned. “Why don’t you use it? It’s kinda big to carry around for no reason.”

He continued before Angeal had the chance to answer. “Is it for bluffing? Threatening to cut someone open does seem like it’d work a lot better than threatening to punch them, even with the damage a SOLDIER could do just with a punch. Though, some guys were telling me that apparently there’s someone who goes around saying he’s going to light people on fire, and that sounds even worse, so I guess if I was going to pick something just for looks, it’d be a Fire materia. Definitely the ultimate bluff.”

Sephiroth let out a suspicious cough while Genesis muttered about showing him exactly how much of a bluff it was.

“Though, now that I think about it, you’d probably have to light a few things on fire first for that to actually work, otherwise it seems a little too extreme and they probably won’t believe you’ll carry it out. Maybe if you lit a few-”

Angeal pressed a hand to his forehead as he laughed.

Zack flushed and went back to looking at his feet as he scuffed his shoe on the ground. “Sorry, I talk too much.”

“That you do.”

Zack took a step back. “You don’t have to agree with me!”

Angeal laughed again. His hand reached out almost of its own accord as Zack slumped over. He patted his head good-naturedly, not unlike he might a puppy.

Huh, a puppy. Now there was something you didn’t see every day. Certainly not in ShinRa’s wolf den. 

Angeal eyed him.

“Tell me, Zack Fair, what is your reason for joining SOLDIER?”

Behind him he heard one of the two suck in a breath. Maybe both of them.

It was if those were the magic words, Zack popping back up and puffing out his chest as he propped his hands on his hips and proudly proclaimed that he was here to become a hero.

Genesis snorted again while Sephiroth hummed dubiously.

Angeal gave him a contemplative look. “Is that so?”

“Yep!” Zack nodded with the word and then bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, just for good measure. 

Yes, the word ‘puppy’ suited him perfectly. 

“Well, I think a hero should carry his sword with him.” Angeal gave him a pointed look.

Zack grimaced. “I’ll go get it.”

“You do that, and when you’re done, meet me in Training Room Four.”

“Wha-”

“You have ten minutes.” 

Zack’s eyes widened before he took off at full speed. 

Angeal grinned. 

A puppy who wanted to become a hero.

How could he say no to that?

**Author's Note:**

> LMK what you thought! Comments & kudos are love! <3


End file.
